The invention relates to a side airbag for vehicles and to a method for the folding of a side airbag.
Side airbags are provided in vehicles for protection of the vehicle occupants in the event of a side impact or a rollover and have a gas bag which is filled by gas generated pyrotechnically by a gas generator. Such a side airbag normally deploys from a side region of a vehicle seat rest or from a side panel of the vehicle, so that the inflated gas bag extends in the area between the vehicle occupant, for example the driver, and the sidewall of the vehicle, so that as a result the area of the shoulder and the waist, optionally also the driver's head, are protected.
Such a side airbag is e.g. known from the generic DE 10 2012 224 178 A1 and has a gas bag which is mounted in a backrest of a vehicle seat in the folded state. This gas bag includes first and second material layers which when flatly spread out are placed upon one another, with their edges being sewn together, so as to form in the inflated state a cushion shape, with the material layers extending in vehicle longitudinal direction. Such gas bags can be produced inexpensively because of their simple structure that allows sewing by machine. However, such two-dimensional gas bags encounter the problem that the thickness in the region of their outer circumferential edges, where the two material layers are sewn, is less than in their central region. Therefore, such gas bags must be sized larger in order to realize a sufficient thickness in certain regions for protection of the vehicle occupants. This, however, incurs increased material costs.
Object of the invention is therefore to provide a side airbag with a gas bag of the aforementioned type, in which in certain border regions an adequate gas bag thickness can be ensured in a simple manner. It is another object of the invention to provide a simple method for folding the side airbag according to the invention.